IT'S OFF-AND-ON SHOWERS FOR ALBUQUERQUE NORTH TO SANTA FE ON FRIDAY … WITH SOME HEAVY RAIN. FRAZIER TELLS US THAT SHOULD CHANGE TOMORROW (SATURDAY), WHEN THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS. FRAZIER SAYS THIS KIND OF RAINFALL IS AN ANOMALY FOR NEW MEXICO. HE SAYS IT'S UNUSUAL TO GET THIS MUCH RAINFALL IN SUCH SHORT A PERIOD OF TIME.
IT'S SO UNUSUAL THAT MORE THAN 70 RESIDENTS HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED OUT OF ARTESIA THURSDAY BECAUSE OF FLOODING. THE RED CROSS WAS BUSY THERE TOO AS WELL. IT SAYS 100 PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED FROM AN ARTESIA R-V PARK THAT'S SURROUNDED BY WATER. 200 HOMES IN CARLSBAD WERE ALSO EVACUATED, AND THERE WAS FLOODING IN DONA ANA AND CHAVES COUNTIES.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS SOME PARTS OF THE STATE COULD GET 6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN INTO THE WEEKEND. BUT THE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF OVER THE WEEKEND, WITH DRIER WEATHER DUE NEXT WEEK.
